We're in USDA zone 8a. Gonna plant a couple of apple and pear trees this winter.

Any recommendations for varieties? Fresh and canning. I'd like to try my hand at grafting scions of couple of types per tree.

What about recommended root stocks? We'd probably go dwarf (10ft or so max).

Try your USDA extension service?

Definitely. Just trying to get other's opinions as to their favorites.

Hope you get some recos. My pears come from Safeway. Usually as crisp as an apple and they get mealy and half rotten before they ripen.

I'd try a bunch of different apple varieties (fresh) and figure out which ones I liked the flavour of the best. The main reason for growing your own is flavour, might as well grow the best! Also think what the purpose of the apples is for (fresh, sauce, pies!) and don't forget cross pollination!

Dwarf should not be planted in well drained soils, as wind can upset the shallow root system, but for other soils are fine. Many apples now have developed disease resistance, are naturally spreading crown, or are able to withstand heat/cold temps. Might want to look into those qualities that suit you. And make sure you cage the trees if you have any chance of deer eating them...they're particularly fond of dwarf, which they can denude and entire tree in a night. You might want to plant a pollinator too like a crab or Winter Banana apple too...helps the other trees.

Lots of info at https://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees or http://bighorsecreekfarm.com/apple-varieties/ or of course Youtube.

Interesting article about the history of apples here:

https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/the_apple_in_north_america

Call the boys at Adams County Nursery.......I think it’s in 7 but ship all over.

Commercial place and love to talk trees. Just down the road from me.

But the Mother Of All Fruit Tree Knowledge is the Geneva Fruit Testing Station in Geneva NY. Also very helpful. We have 52varieties of apples. Run wire to support them and use drip irrigation. PM a Phone number, I’ll answer whatever I can.

Are there any other fruit trees around you?

Stay stay from them if possible............plant away from them.

Hillsboro being at the north end of the Willamette valley, I don’t know if the same stuff that tastes and grows good here will match much with there. (SW WA)

Best all around- Gravenstein. Wonderful flavor. Red and yellow skin.
Best winter apple- Banana Apple. Keeps forever. Traded them for elk jerky all through hunting season and after as a kid. Yellow and red skin.
Best early apple- Transparent. Great flavor, but very temporary. Almost yellow skin.
2nd place all around- Milton. Keeps fairly well, but almost impossible to find. Deep purple skin.

We have around 60 fruit and nut trees on property. 20+ are apples. We only pick 5 of them. The others were recommended by the nursery along with the rest, but they suck. We planted most around 1990. Kind of a crapshoot.

I often wonder if anyone is responsible for keeping track of young retail fruit trees. We bought a dwarf cherry tree a few years back that was supposed to grow to 12’ max. I planted it too close to the house, and had to cut it down this past summer since it crowded our deck, and filled the gutters with leaves. Must have been 25’ tall

Thanks for the recommendations, all.

LCM: We have clay soil, so not a problem there. Lot's of deer though so I know that we'll have to keep them away.


OdT: SW Wash is pretty much the same, so your recommendations of particularity helpful.

Glad to help. I should have added above; The Transparent Apple is also a very early apple. They will be long gone by the time the other trees start to ripen towards the end of summer.

Anybody have any favorite pears?

The best pears I've had are the 'Royal Riviera' from Harry and David.

My favorite pear is the Comice. I grew up in an orchard, and my mother still badgers the local green grocer to get her some every year.

As far as apples, the more disease resistant you can get them, the better. I do like eating Honeycrisps, and they keep well.

As an aside, don't forget the plums. There are some really, really, REALLY great varieties out there that never show up in the stores. And peaches. For on the ice cream...

Steve,

Hope this finds you well up there on the hill. And wishes for you, yours, and the bees to have a great winter too.

I'll second the motion for the Yellow Transparent. I had one where I was over in the Snake River valley close to the Idaho border of WA. Some years I started picking in late July/very early Aug. Couldn't find one at our local nursery this year, will have to see if I can get one shipped into CA by someone. Excellent apple the way I like them, picked slightly early for eating fresh and for drying. As they got riper they made quite passable sauce and I could still eat them if crisp. Once really ripe, it was sauce only for me as I detest mealy soft apples.

I planted Gravenstein here along with another I now forget. Can't wait to get some as they have always been a favorite of mine. Just remembered, it was a Granny Smith.

As for pears, I like them all. I'd like to find a quince tree to plant also, usually very hardy and excellent when cooked.

And take the suggestion of plums and peaches. They did great on my friends' place on the border of Sherwood/Newberg. I'd expect the same at your place.

Good luck with your orchard, the bees will be happy.

Geno

littlecmonkey,

thanks much for the links, very useful as I now have a place to order some varieties I can't get at the local nursery (we only have one!)

Geno

OdT,

gracias for the variety recommendations. I can see a real benefit for the Winter Banana here.

And I certainly agree with you on the Transparent.

Geno

Bosc pear is probably my favorite fruit when perfectly ripe. They do well in WA and OR.

My grandfather had a single apple tree in his orchard which had 26 varieties of apple grafted to it. He also had a bunch of different roses grafted on it with all sorts of colors and blooming cycles. A wild tree if there ever was one!

Thanks Geno!

Thanks to all on the thread. Will be getting a couple trees in the coming months. Found a place locally that sells 2 to 5 in 1's apples with Yellow transparent as one of the varieties. Also sell multi-variety pears with Comice as one of the varieties.

After they get established I'll see about grafting others onto them

I was lucky enough to purchase a real Gravenstein a few years back and this year we were able to verify that it’s authentic, in its third year of production and it’s first solid yield. Wonderful apples. I also went ahead and pruned the lower branches this fall to accommodate my riding mower, which means we should see some shoots, (I can’t recall the proper nomenclature), this coming spring. So I plan to do some grafts from it, via the local nursery.

Ill be happy to share if you’re interested and if there are enough to go around. Raintree Nursery in Morton WA has done many plums for us over the years and their work is pretty good. 80% success or better

My pleasure. If you happen to find a source for the Banana Winters, I’d love to hear about it